Clay Clayton

Unless the processes at the airport have changed since 2021, leave yourself plenty of time to checkin and get through security. We had Delta’s first flight back to JFK (11ish?) and spent three-four hours getting from the ship (prearranged taxi) to the gate and only had a few minutes to catch our breath before boarding. Not sure why but can’t seem to find the photo looking the other way, but this was the head of the line at the ticket counter and it extended at leave 150 people the other way. Luckily we were able to use the Priority line so only took us about 30 minutes. I suspect if we had been in the regular line it would have been at least twice as long. Hopefully, they have improved things since then-this was just after the world started to open up after the pandemic and I know everyone was short staffed.

Don’t you think a lot of that price drop was driven by people canceling after the unrest in the Mideast? Hopefully by the time of the eclipse, things will have calmed down?

We looked at booking this but the 5 days in Cairo are about 4 too many for us. The only thing that wanted us to make it back was to see the new Museun which maybe will be open by then. But we decided that we didn’t want to spend four other days there.

Here is the link: https://www.viking.com/promotions/us/en/portal/LM7.html?cid=EML|AJO|999|Email+-+240712_multiproduct_LM7&utm_source=email&utm_medium=AJO&utm_content=Email+-+240712_multiproduct_LM7&correlationId=c35311c0-4947-4003-aaf2-3472f6c6f006-0

Not that I know of, but when I click on the link it takes me to ones that are eligible. But I don’t know how to copy the email into this thread. I believe others have said though that sometimes the code will work for cruises not specifically listed.

Sale is offered on various River, Ocean, and Expedition cruises

FYI

I’m hoping by increasing the space between the closet and the bed by a foot or so.

Great objective review! Wanted to suggest that as you ponder the cruise over the next few weeks that you also consider the total cost of the cruise to determine if you still believe there is a “significant price premium”. We tend to book relatively last minute (6 months or so pre embarkation) and have found that with the promos offered and after taking into account the amenities Viking includes versus what we typically use on a non-Viking cruise that the cost difference can be as low as $15 per person per day which to us is worth it for the smaller crew and no kids. That calculation was done on a transatlantic in 2019 comparing Viking to Royal Carribean on a spring TA. The per person per day savings isn’t as good on a cruise with more ports or their more popular cruise. Of course the calculation is impacted by the amount of onboard credit Viking allows, on other cruise lines our travel agent doesn’t provide enough to cover the gratuities but on Viking they do so that is a big impact.

rather than fixed propellers and a rudder that moves to steer the ship, the propellers swing to direct the ship in different directions. Here is a video about them: https://youtu.be/pYT5D9bfgEE

I also wish (and have suggested) that the recordings of the poet talks be available on MVJ or Viking TV. They would need lots of caveats but it would still give folks a better idea of what is coming than the paragraph or two of your description we get now.

I also hadn’t realized that the new ships were going to have azipods unlike their older smaller sisters.

This was the case on the World Cruise on Sky this past winter/spring.

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/shipbuilding-equipment/fincantieris-ancona-yard-floats-out-viking-vesta?utm_campaign=SC_News_Seatrade Cruise News Weekly Update_NL_07052024&utm_emailname=SC_News_Seatrade Cruise News Weekly Update_NL_07052024&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eloqua&utm_MDMContactID=db60c4e4-0afe-4832-ad88-83806cef368f&utm_campaigntype=Newsletter&eM=fe6114d63ee1af637c116a68ad60731963dbb02f790981a727f86217fc60c39d&eventSeriesCode=ES_SEATRDCRSCTNT&eventEditionCode=MTM00SCC&sessionCode=S_STRDCRSNEWS&sp_eh=fe6114d63ee1af637c116a68ad60731963dbb02f790981a727f86217fc60c39d

In our experience (which does not include Rome), the departure time is when they expect to leave the ship. Typically, if asked to meet onboard, the meeting time is 15 minutes prior to the excursion time, if meeting on the pier it will be the listed excursion time. Information on when and where to meet will be on page three of the Viking daily which will be in your stateroom after dinner the night prior to the excursion. Again, based on our experience (though not in Rome) they expect to have you back to the ship at 4:15. But on daylong tours like this, we have often gotten back later than this posted time due to traffic, crowds, or other factors. Additionally on at least two occasions I remember, due to traffic being not as bad as expected, we were taken to an unplanned sightseeing location so that the trip took the full amount of time promised. If you wish to leave any excursion, it is allowed just be sure to tell the guide (and we always tell others on the tour in case the guide forgets) that you’re leaving and will make your own way back to the ship.

So sorry to hear of the incident in Bergen. Hope you won’t let one wayward teen ruin your view of the whole city….we encountered nothing but great folks when we were there last summer. Safe travels tomorrow!

Thanks!

It does. Thanks! I recall similar comments from the post I now can’t find. It seems others posted about an issue with noise depending on location along the hallway.

I know I read a post about which of the rooms on this deck were noisy and which weren’t, but I sure can’t find it now😡. Would love thoughts on the pro/con of particular rooms in this category. TIA

The barbershop, convenience store and restaurants were all in Bejing prior to us joining the Viking pre-extension. I suspect you’re right about the souvenir shops as those were with Viking.

This info is from 2019 so perhaps it’s changed but we used ApplePay on our phones and never changed any currency. My Visa card is the default credit card loaded into ApplePay and we used it at restaurants, convenience stores, food stalls, souvenir shops, and a barber shop. Admittedly, our number of uses was small as we had prepaid a Chinese travel agency for an individual tour before we joined the Viking pre extension so most of the time we didn’t have to pay directly.

Luckily the orange power is supposed to wash off when it rains (according to the vandals).

I was told those were not heaters just decorative and they certainly didn’t have them on when we were in Norway.

Heaters? What heaters? I’ve been suggesting that they add them to make the outdoor space more useable in the northern climes